Instant Death(即死, Sokushi?), also called Death, Fatal, Swoon, Dead, KO, Fell, Dispatch, and Stun, refers to an attack that immediately kills its victim regardless of what HP they have remaining. Instant death attacks are recurrent throughout the series; several bosses, including final bosses, are known to use instant death moves and some summons, such as Odin and Yojimbo, can also kill instantly. Instant death spells generally do not work on bosses, however, exceptions do exist.

In most games, attacks that inflict instant death do not display damage points when hit, even if the attack would have inflicted normal damage if instant death had not taken effect. In some games, indicators such as the word "Death" or the abbreviation "KO" may appear instead of damage points.

As with the use of curative and resurrection spells, such as Raise, instant death's effect is often reversed for the undead. In some games, using an instant death ability on the undead will fully heal it in the same way that using Raise would kill it, though there are some exceptions, such as the undead in Final Fantasy XII.

This status has been given a name in the Game Boy Advance release, it appears inside the Bestiary as Death found under the Status Immunity section of the enemy entry. Because of the Vanish-Doom Bug, in the versions before the Advance remake, the Invisible status would remove the target's immunity to Death, meaning even bosses could be easily defeated this way.

The player can withstand one of any Tonberry "Knife" attacks by using the spell Resist. This only works one time as the attack dealt by the Tonberry will dispel the effect. Since the character the Tonberry attacks is random, one can wait until it is only one step away from a party member as Tonberries tend to attack whoever is in front of them prior to the last step before using the "Knife" attack.

Inflicts extreme non-elemental damage and a chance of Death to all enemies.

Hidden One

Enemy Attack

Inflicts Death.

Joker

Enemy Attack

Inflicts Death. Doesn't always work.

Knife

Enemy Attack

Inflicts Death.

L4 Death

Enemy Attack

Inflicts Death on party whose levels are a multiple of 4.

Scissor Attack

Enemy Attack

Inflicts minor non-elemental damage and Death. Used as a counterattack when HP is 50% or less.

Suffocation Song

Enemy Attack

Inflicts Death. Only used if Gighee is alive, and if at least one opponent has Sadness.

Safety Bit

Accessory

Prevents Death.

Kiss of Death

Item

Inflicts Death on all enemies with 68% precision.

The player can also add the instant death element to a character's physical attacks by linking Destruct Materia with Status Effect Materia in the character's weapon. Equipping the pair in the character's armor will make him/her immune to instant death, instead.

Inflicts Death on all enemies whose levels are a multiple of X. X is broken down into the following:

Crisis Lv 1: LV4 Death

Crisis Lv 2: LV3 Death

Crisis Lv 3: LV2 Death

Crisis Lv 4: LV1 Death

Lv5 Death

Enemy Attack

Inflicts Death on party members whose levels are a multiple of 5.

Rapture

Limit Break

Ejects all targets.

The End

Limit Break

Instantly kills any enemy.

Zantetsuken

Summon

When used by either Odin or Gilgamesh it inflicts instant death to all targets (the eject immunity is involved rather than death immunity). Odin can use it against the player party if the player runs out of time while battling him.

The player can add the instant death effect to physical attacks by junctioning 100 Death spells to a character's status attack.

Inflicts Dispel and has a small chance of inflicting Death; success rate increases if target is asleep.

Perdition

Enemy Skill

Inflicts Death.

Shadow Ring

Equipment (Ring)

Has a small chance to resist Death attacks.

Svaha

Notorious Monster

Melee attacks have a very low chance of inflicting Death.

Tera Slash

NM Skill

When used by Arch Dynamis Lord, has a chance to inflict Death on those hit by it.

Thar She Blows

Enemy Skill

Inflicts Death on those within a frontal area.

Twilight Scythe

Weapon (Scythe)

Has a small chance to inflict Death on normal hits or physical weapon skills.

Tyrant Tusk

NM Skill

Deals Dark elemental damage and inflicts Bio status, but if the target would fall to less than half HP as a result of this damage, the damage is negated and victim simply dies instead. Apparently unaffected by Resist Death effects.

Zantetsuken

Odin Skill

Inflicts Death on anyone in range. Will simply deal damage to Notorious Monsters and others immune to Death.

The player gains access to instant death moves with the Death spell, the Ranger's Smashing Blow (25% chance), Monk's Ghost Army and the Bandit's Deadly Blow attack. The Party Host's Pot Luck command has a random chance of executing Sudden Death that kills all opponents instantly.

Some of the tougher bosses use instant death attacks against the party, such as the Leviathan, that has a chance of instantly KOing a party member with its physical attacks.